


Iron Bear

by theavengays



Series: Stars' Bingo Fills 2019 [5]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Iron Bear, M/M, Mild Angst, Not Canon Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 18:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20605316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theavengays/pseuds/theavengays
Summary: After the hellicarriers fall, the Asset doesn't know what to do.





	Iron Bear

**Author's Note:**

> Listen I had this concept ever since I joined fandom and I just really needed to write it and get it out of my brain okay

The Asset took two months to stop calling itself  _ it _ .

It-He was a fragmented mess of memories and seven decades of instinct to kill.

After the helicarriers fell, after all the anchor points were ripped away (even if that anchor was HYDRA), after he was  _ free _ …

He found himself lost.

He almost died at first, no resources, the remnants of HYDRA still desperately trying to repossess him. Most survival instincts were concepts to him, like eating. 

Over time, he managed to get the money to survive, first stealing, and then working under the table because he was strong and there’s always someone who wants boxes moved. 

He knew what credit cards were, he knew how Europeans and Americans counted to three different, he knew what Pokemon were, he knew how to make himself small, to survive, to hide.

But not being a  _ it _ instead of a  _ he _ was still a work in progress. 

~~

A few months later, he was staring at some ducks. Animals, at least, were reassuringly the same shape, even if bananas tasted completely different. 

He didn’t have much else to do, he had enough money working in back-alley restaurants and at car shops for cash and he was moving on once the morning rush started and he was just another face in the crowd. 

“Hey, Mister.”

There’s a moment where he just breathed, ignored the memories of kids he’s hurt in the past, and then he looked down at the boy standing beside the bench. His dad is on the pier, talking into a phone and doesn’t seem to care where his son wandered off to. No one else is paying attention. 

“What?” he rasped. He hasn’t actually spoken in 17 days, words are something that doesn't come easy to him, even after all this time. 

“For you.” The boy said, tucking a strange red and gold teddy bear into his lap. “He protected me, now he can protect you too.”

“A…bear.” There’s static filling his brain.  _ Command not recognized _ .

The boy puffs up in indignation.

“S’not just a bear! It’s Iron Bear!”

“Iron Bear?” He was startled at the absurdity of the statement, and the feeling of soft faux fur on his flesh hand. 

“Yeah, they made it because of Iron Man, ‘cause he helps people.” the boy said, “And Tony Stark would want me to help people, and you look sad, so you should have it. I’m named after him actually, ‘cause he helped my mom once.” The kid caught himself rambling and blushed lightly, “Uhhh…so what's your name?”

“James,” he said after a long moment. He wasn’t Bucky Barnes anymore, even if he wore his face. Bucky had died sometime after the training started. 

“Antony!” The kid spun around and darted back towards the man, calling a goodbye over his shoulder. 

James stared down at the red and gold bear in his lap and went to go look up Tony Stark. 

~~

The bear stays in his backpack, through Italy, through Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Romania. 

~~

It’s been a year, four months and thirteen days since the helicarriers fell and James walked up to Stark Tower, stepped inside and found a bench to put his backpack down and wait. 

He had a feeling that he was clocked before he even stepped foot inside. The agents instantly focus on him, half starting to move closer, half starting to put themselves between the civilians and him, ushering them out of the lobby. It’s impressively fast, but then again these are trained field agents that are playing civilian security. 

He made eye contact with some of the agents but doesn’t move and within four minutes the lobby is cleared and he’s got guns aimed at him from a careful distance away. 

He doesn’t speak, the agents say nothing, and within the next two minutes the elevator at the back is opening and Tony Stark stepped out, strolling over to the ring of people around him and coming to a stop at the edge of the circle. 

“To what do I owe this pleasure?” Tony Stark said, seemingly perfectly at ease among all the surrounding agents. “Pretty sure there’s a star-spangled super-soldier that would love for you to be knocking at his door, not mine”

James remembered the reports he’d seen and searched up, of the HYDRA reveal, and the SHIELD deaths when every bit of information was thrown onto the net. 

The list of people on Insight’s list, Tony Stark one of the top ones. 

Iron Man and the Iron Legion making headlines from rescuing agents undercover.

The Maria Stark Foundation vanishing known retired agents and families somewhere safer. 

The toy held out to him and ‘ _ they made it because of Iron Man’.  _

“I heard that you helped people.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on Tumblr! At @theavengays  
And if you read this much, let me know if you liked it, or what your favourite line was!  
Fills my B4 "Almost died" square for the WinterIronBingo!


End file.
